The Duel
by Azul Twilight
Summary: It is a battle of epic proportions.  It is a battle of wits, skill, and brute strength.  It is a battle between... Roxas and Axel?  What the heck?  I thought they were like, best friends?  What are they fighting over?  Or, more importantly, who will win?


**Disclamer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts... (Xemnas: But I dooooo!) What the...? Where'd you come from? Anyway, I don't own Kingdom Hearts... (Xemnas: HEARTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS... -drools-) Um, ew? As I was saying, I don't own... (Xemnas: -looks at her expectantly-) Look, I own nothing, okay? NOTHING! (Xemnas: Embrace the nothing!) -blinks, stares- Man, you really creep me out, you know that? Anyway, here goes...

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**The Duel**

They would have met at high noon... if it not for the fact that it's always night time in The World that Never Was.

The first to step out of the shadows of Memory's Skyscraper is a cloaked figure; however, his hood is pulled back, making him easy to distinguish from the other members of the Organization. Although the nearly ever-present smirk is absent, the small diamond shapes under his eyes and mass of red hair are accounted for: who could mistake him for anyone but Number VIII himself, Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames?

Chakrams drawn, he steps boldly into the light of the heart-shaped moon, flames seeming to dance in his eyes. He is obviously infuriated... but at what? With whom? That question will soon be answered, for as he pauses to glare into the shadows on the opposite side of the tower, another figure steps forth.

A second nobody, clad in black, strides toward his opponent, each step radiating calm confidence. The hood is drawn over his face, hiding his features from view. Nevertheless, his identity is made unambiguous as he comes to a halt a few paces away from the other and a weapon appears in each hand: Oblivion and Oathkeeper, two incredibly powerful keyblades belonging to none other than Roxas, the Key of Destiny, the final member of Organization XIII. He shakes his head lightly, allowing the hood to fall behind his neck, revealing spiked blond hair, glistening blue eyes, and a youthful face pulled taunt in rage.

He tightens his grip on his weapons, lowering himself into his characteristic battle stance as Axel twirls a chakram arrogantly in his left hand. The contenders are ready.

But Roxas and Axel are the nearest of friends- what could possibly have come between them to initiate such violence?

We are about to find out.

"GIMMIE BACK MY CHEETOS!" comes Axel's cry as he flings a flaming chakram at the younger nobody.

"FINDERS KEEPERS!" Roxas shouts, knocking the fiery blades of doom aside with Oathkeeper before leaping at his foe, ready to bring down both weapons upon the redhead.

"You can consider that five hundred munny mine, Zexion," Luxord murmurs from beside me, shoving a fist full of popcorn in his mouth.

I roll my eyes slightly. "You inferior fool, mere chakrams are no match against the keyblade's power."

"As if!" Xigbar pipes up from where he stands, leaning against the brick wall behind the rest of us. "Hey, gimmie some popcorn, Luxord!" Demyx whines, reaching for the bowl. They, too, had bet on Axel. Fine by me- fewer to split the purse with. Perhaps I will finally have sufficient funds to purchase the eighth volume of _Darkness, Hearts, and the Spacetime Continuum_! Ah, and if I can contrive some obscure mission to send Demyx on, I may even have a bit of time in the library to myself with it! I would then achieve the nearest to utter bliss a nobody can possibly feel, I am sure.

But alas, I am pulled from my thoughts by the battle upon which this entire dream rests.

"I HAD MY _NAME_ ON THE FLIPPING _BAG_!" Axel roars, thrusting a chakram into the air to clang against the metal of Roxas's keyblades just before they can impact him. "It had 'Axel' on it in big red letters! **GOT IT MEMORIZED?!**"

Roxas quickly counters by twisting the blades, prying the circular weapon from the pyro's grasp and tossing it to the side with Oathkeeper in one swift motion, then swinging Oblivion at his exposed side. "THEY HAD BEEN IN THE KITCHEN A WEEK!! IT WAS TORTURE!" he howls, the fury in his voice left fully unmasked.

I await the groan of agony which I am sure will escape Axel as soon as the blade hits him, but it never comes. Nay, the pyro spins skillfully out of the way, scarcely evadeing Number XIII's assault. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR SWITCHING MY HAIR GEL WITH _JELLO_!" Axel retorts, thrusting his palm with a ball of flickering flames toward the teen.

"THAT'S CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHM- _**HOLY CRAP MY HAIR**_!!!!!"

Sure enough, Axel has managed to set the tips of the boy's hair on fire. Roxas's one weakness. I rest my forehead against my palm as I hear Saïx groan audibly behind me- he had been the only one wagering with me on Roxas's victory. And Number XIII was so close to finally landing a blow, too. As Roxas rolls about on the ground in a frantic attempt to quench the already nonexistent blaze, I hear fingers snapping in front of my face. When I lift my gaze, I see Luxord's outstretched leather-bound hand. "Pay up, Zexion."

* * *

**Note:** I put the note down here so I didn't ruin anything. -grin- Anyway, this all started when I was toying with the idea of writing something random for a change (I think the inspiration for that came from reading SharleaNorth's fics...) and at some point I decided it would be cool to have a duel, and I think the whole Cheetos thing came from the fact that I am craving them right now... and the whole 'name on the bag' deal is from work- you don't put a name on it, it's fair game. But yeah, I basically credit SharleaNorth, my odd 10:00 cravings, and my job with this story. Thanks ya'll! -grin- 

**Also Note:** By the way, I _do_ feel bad for picking on Roxas. But it's all in the name of fun, right Roxas? Roxas? -is glared at- Ruh roh. Man, if he's this ticked off about his hair, I had better find a spot in the witness protection program when he finds out what's gonna happen to him in my plot-ful fic, A Destiny Devoid of Light. -shifty eyes, starts writing will-

**Also Also Note:** Almost forgot... please review! Reviews, uh, boost the gas milage on your car! Yeah! -nods violently-


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